Three Card Monte
by what a feeling
Summary: Now who'd have thought the FBI's most watched criminal was capable of something so extraordinary? The real magic, Percy thinks, is in getting Annabeth to change her mind. Undercover/ Fake dating AU. If you've read any of my other work, you'll know it's rated T because I am incapable of going long without swearing.


**A/N: I'm a little rushed for time, please leave a comment if you like this! I do have a lot of shout-outs to do but I'll get to it tomorrow! xxx  
**

"-we suspect he's clean, though. It's his partner, Luke Castellan, that you're going to have to look out for." The Assistant Director's voice pulls her out of her reverie. Her eyes flicker to Percy Jackson, but he's already staring at her, big grin on his face. He leans his chair back so it's standing on the two back legs and whispers something to Grover Underwood. When he catches her eye, he sends her a wink. Annabeth looks away quickly, hoping he wouldn't have noticed the way her cheeks very obviously have turned pink.

"Special Agents Chase and Jackson can meet me in my room to discuss your new lives." AD Barnes finishes, stepping off the podium in the briefing room and heading out. Annabeth jumps to her feet and scrambles after her, Percy only a step behind her.

"Ma'am, I was wondering," Annabeth says, struggling to keep up with her boss. She was much bigger than Annabeth, both taller as well as more muscular, and Annabeth feels a little out of breath (not that she'd ever admit it). Behind them, Percy seems to have no problems keeping up the pace.

"What is it, Chase?" Barnes asks, not sparing Annabeth a glance.

"There's an opening at the California Bureau of Investigation..." Annabeth trails off. The captain stops walking and turns around. Percy doesn't stop walking, but does cry out, 'What!?' a second before slamming into the captain and earning a glare.

"You want to leave the FBI… To work with _state police_?" Percy says it like it's a disease.

"I don't generally agree with Jackson, but I'll make an exception." Barnes says with a scowl. Annabeth straightens up, feeling slightly offended.

"I used to work as a regular cop before." She retorts, mostly to Percy.

"Have you thought about this?" Barnes asks her. Annabeth nods.

"I think it would be good for me. To go back home." She says. It's true. Since moving out to Washington, she's had an exciting life, sure, but not without a price. After having had one massive breakdown over the weekend about how completely dysfunctional she is, and a long conversation with her brother about the importance of asking for help, she'd decided to finally swallow her pride and move back to California with Malcolm. "Besides, it's Captain of a precinct." She pokes a finger into Percy's chest.

"I would have liked for you to work with us for longer, Detective." Barnes says, rubbing her hands together and then pinching the bridge of her nose. "But I'll take this as your two weeks' notice. I'll reassign the Castellan case to someone else." She looks around them, as if considering who best to replace Annabeth.

"Captain," Percy says, stepping conveniently between Annabeth and Barnes. "Two weeks. Think about it. Annabeth's still going to be here. We'll just, you know, wrap up the entire operation in two weeks and she can go home." He turns to Annabeth, and she's a little weary of the sparkle in his eyes. "Think of this Castellan thing as your farewell case."

Annabeth considers it. Truth is, she doesn't really want to leave the FBI either. The only thing keeping her from admitting that out loud is the idea of being with Malcolm, living with him, easing her own burden a little. Things have been getting too stressful for her lately, and having her brother around to out a bit seems quite pleasant from where she views it.

That being said, Annabeth is going to _miss_ the FBI. As a part of counterintelligence, she's had to take on so many different assignments, each more dangerous than the previous, and she can't deny that the stakes always got her adrenaline pumping. She tries not to think about it, but she doesn't know how she's going to manage without Grover, or Travis or Connor or Clarisse, or Silena…

Or Percy.

Gods, she's going to miss Percy _so much_ , her heart clenches at the thought. They'd been partners, best friends, inseparable for eight years, now, ever since they'd met in the fencing club back at college. She doesn't remember a life without Percy Jackson, can't imagine one, and quite honestly, doesn't really want one. Once she leaves, she knows it's over- She's not going to be able to look back. She just doesn't know if she can do it, though. If she won't spend the rest of her life, waking up on an empty bed and wondering what would have happened, had she stayed back.

Percy's waving his hand in front of her eyes now, and she snaps out of it just in time to hear him sing,

"Hello? Earth to Annabeth!"

"What?" She asks, a little stupidly.

"You down for that? One last case, you and me?"

Annabeth nods, hoping her smile is convincing. Barnes doesn't look impressed.

"Jackson, we've had people working this case for months. You don't think you could just waltz I there and solve it in two weeks?" She says, but Percy only scoffs, throwing his arm around Annabeth's shoulders and then dropping it immediately when she glares at him.

"Right. Work place etiquette. I forget sometimes." He says, not looking particularly embarrassed. "And Ma'am, with all due respect, do you even know how Annabeth and I function? Together, we're like," He moves his arms around a little, struggling for words. "Unstoppable."

Barnes studies the two of them, and then lets out a sigh. "Only because I can't think of anyone better suited to accompany you, Jackson," She says, before turning to Annabeth. "Which means, unfortunately, you've got to stay for until we close the case or decide on a change in course. And _then_ you can hand in your resignation."

"Yes, Ma'am." Annabeth says, not sure why there's a manic laughter bubbling in her stomach.

"You'll have to sign a contract to that effect." Barnes adds, turning on her heel and marching forward. Once more, Annabeth scrambles to catch up.

"Alright, let's get you acquainted with yourselves." Barnes says once they're all settled in her office. She pulls out two files and slides them over to the two of them. "Jackson, you're Cameron Simmons. You're going to apply to work with Castellan after you move in next door with him, and he's going to be so amazed by your smooth talking and impressive résumé, he'll let you in on the high ranks, because he's missing a second-in-command."

"What happened to his second in command?" Percy asks, leaning forward and flicking through his file.

"Ethan Nakamura. We aren't sure yet but Forensics are checking for signs of asphyxiation. We've got other agents undercover, and from what we can put together, Castellan found out Nakamura was trying to get out of the whole thing." Percy lets out a low whistle. "Basically, if Castellan finds out you're a spy, Jackson…"

She doesn't have to finish that sentence. All three of them know; it's a part of the job.

"Roger that." Percy agrees, scanning his file, before frowning. Annabeth finds her eyebrows stitching up in response and quickly smoothens out her face. "Cameron Simmons seems... I don't know, kinda lame… I mean, _psychology_? This doesn't really scream ideal for illegal drug trade!"

"We've fashioned your history to be exactly what Castellan needs." Barnes says, nodding, as if Percy raised an excellent question. "Besides, even if that falls through, we know you'll still be good friends with him."

"Why?"

"A fool-proof play on human emotion." Barnes continues, eyes meeting Annabeth's, and she doesn't like where this is going.

"Meet Isabelle Quinn." Barnes continues. "You and Cameron met in school, and have been together since you were sixteen. You're a lawyer, but you're great with a gun. Be sure to let that slip when you knock on their door to introduce yourselves to your new neighbors, we need the both of you to get into his inner circle."

"We've been dating since we were sixteen!?" Percy asks, a little incredulously, before pointing to Annabeth. "And _she's_ the only action I've ever gotten?"

"Hey!" Annabeth is offended by that. "I happen to be super flexible, and it just so happens that a lot of boys out there think of me as the best they've ever had." She doesn't even try to keep the smugness out of her voice.

"Maybe I'll give it a shot once we're closed with this case." Percy says with a wink and a cheeky grin. Annabeth swallows back the butterflies in her stomach.

"Cut it out, you two." Barnes says, and it may be Annabeth's eyes playing tricks on her, but her boss looks somewhat amused.

"The fact that I have to _pretend_ to be great with a gun to impress some drug lord." Annabeth mutters, grabbing at the files. "I am a _special agent_."

"- And Chase," Barnes looks at her pointedly. "No showing off, okay? Impress him just enough. You don't want him getting too suspicious."

"I'll make sure of it, Ma'am." Percy interrupts, and Annabeth despises the grin on his face. "I'm _great_ at making Annabeth look like an idiot."

"Be careful, you two." Barnes says, unimpressed. She nods at the files in front of them, and Annabeth drags it across the tabletop and peels herself off the chair, turning on her heel and marching out.

"And do your homework before you go in, please."


End file.
